-
Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- 11 May 2026 12:21
- Share to:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Monday to prove "doubters" within his party and voters at large wrong as he tries to fight off calls for his resignation following devastating local election results for the Labour Party.
Starmer has argued that he will “face the big challenges” and restore “hope” to the country. This includes moving closer to the European Union and “placing Britain at the heart of Europe,” a decade after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU.
Support the TIME. Preserve the truth.
Professional journalism is in the public interest. Your support helps it remain independent and credible. Contribute too. 1 euro makes a difference.
Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute"I know I have my doubters and I know I have to prove them wrong, and I will," Starmer said during a speech in London. He promised to show millions of people "tired of a status quo that has let them down" that the government is on their side.
He has further said that the Labour Party is in "a battle for the soul of the nation" and that the United Kingdom will follow "a dark path" if "Reform Britain", the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, comes to power.
However, Starmer's position remains fragile, as dozens of MPs demand that he announce a date for his departure.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, a powerful figure often seen as a potential challenger, has said that “what we are doing is not working and it needs to change”.
Rayner has not directly called for Starmer's resignation, but has accused him of leading "a toxic culture of political favoritism" and said the government must "stay true to the values of labor and social democracy" and lower the cost of living for working people.
The Labour Party has been plunged into pessimism after heavy losses last week in local elections across England and in legislative votes in Scotland and Wales. The election has been interpreted as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he came to power in a landslide victory less than two years ago.
His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, improve ailing public services and reduce the cost of living. It has also been marred by repeated mistakes and policy changes on issues such as social reform. Starmer has also been criticised for appointing Peter Mandelson, a discredited friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain's ambassador to Washington.
A key policy is rapprochement with the European Union, which the UK left in 2020, four years after the Leave party narrowly won a referendum on membership. Starmer’s government has already taken steps to ease some of the trade restrictions that have weighed on British businesses after Brexit, and he says he will secure a deal on the movement of young people so they can spend years working across Europe.